Are the prophets still relevant?

What shall Christians do with the Old Testament, especially the prophets? May we quote them? There seems such a lot of negative words spoken by them which may offend today’s generation?

Let us read what Paul taught his disciple, young Timothy, a Spirit-filled Christian pastor/teacher in charge of a number of churches.

“You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” （2 Timothy 3:15-16)

Briefly I summarize below the keys Paul charged Timothy, and all Christians.

1. Paul spoke of the Holy Scriptures, which include both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Scriptures gave Timothy wisdom to receive salvation by believing in Christ Jesus.
2. Paul also elaborated further. He declared that “all Scripture is inspired by God”. Here he does not differentiate between Old Testament and New Testament. In Paul’s days they had only the Old Testament and letters written by the apostles themselves to the churches. He was referring to the Old Testament mainly.
3. Paul declared that “All Scripture is inspired by God.” There is no dispute about the divine authority of the Scripture, Old (before Christ), and New (during and after Christ).
3. Paul taught that Scripture is relevant to Timothy, the New Testament Christian.
4. Paul taught Timothy the relevance of Scripture: “useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
5. All these are in present tenses. The power of the Scripture to change lives is alive today.
6. What does Old Testament do today when quoted? The same effect as declared above.
7. Were Old Testament verses quoted after Jesus ascended into heaven? Yes. In the first sermon given by Peter after he and 119 disciples were baptized by the Holy Spirit, Peter quoted the Old Testament profusely (Acts 2:14-40). “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” (Acts 2:41)

Here is a list for those interested to read more.
Old Testament texts from the prophets quoted in the New Testament:
Isa 1:9 Rom 9:29
Isa 6:9-10 Matt 13:14-15, Mark 4:12, Acts 28:26-27
Isa 6:9 Luke 8:10
Isa 6:10 Joh 12:40
Isa 7:14 Matt, 1:23
Isa 8:12-13 1 Pet 3:14-15
Isa 8:17-18 Heb 2:13
Isa 9:1-2 Matt 4:15-16
Isa 11:10 Rom 15:12
Isa 13:10 Matt 24:29, Mark 13:24-25
Isa 34:4 Luke 21:26
Isa 22:13 1 Co 15:32
Isa 25:8 1 Co 15:54, Rev 7:17
Isa 26:19 Matt 11:5
Isa 35:5-6 Luke 7:22
Isa 26:20 Heb 10:37-38
Isa 28:11-12 1 Co 14:21
Isa 29:13 Matt 15:8-9, Mark 1:3, Joh 1:23
Isa 40:6-8 1 Pet 1:24-25
Isa 40:13 Rom 11:34, 1 Co 2:16
Isa 42:1-4 Matt 12:18-21
Isa 45:23 Rom 14:11
Isa 49:6 Acts 13:47
Isa 49:8 2 Co 6:2
Isa 52:5 Rom 2:24
Isa 52:7 Rom 10:15
Isa 52:11 2 Co 6:17
Isa 52:15 Rom 15:21
Isa 53:1 Joh 12:38, Rom 8:17
Isa 53:7-8 Acts 8:32-33
Isa 53:9 1 Pet 2:23
Isa 53:12 Luke 22:37
Isa 54:1 Gal 4:27
Isa 54:13 Joh 6:45
Isa 55:3 Acts 13:34
Isa 55:10 2 Co 9:10
Isa 56:7 Matt 21:13
Jer 7:11 Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46
Isa 59:7-8 Rom 3:15-17
Isa 59:20-21 Rom 11:26-27
Isa 61:1-2 Luke 4:18-19
Isa 62:11 Matt 21:5
Isa 64:3 1 Co 2:9
Isa 65:1-2 Rom10:10-21
Isa 65:17 2 Pet 3:13
Isa 66:1-2 Acts 7:49-50
Jer 5:21 Mark 8:18
Jer 9:23 1 Co 1:31, 2 Co 10:17
Jer31:15 Matt 2:18
Jer 31:31-34 Heb 8:8-12
Ezk 11:20 Rev 21:7
Ezk 37:5, 10 Rev 11:11
Dan 3:6 Matt13:42, 50
Dan 7:13 Matt 24:30, 26:64, Mark 13:26,14:62, Luke 21:27,22:69
Dan 9:27 Matt 24:15
Dan 11:31 Mark 13:14
Hos 2:1, 3 Rom 9:25-28
Hos 6:6 Matt 9:13, Matt 12:7
Hos 10:8 Luke 23:30, Rev 6:16
Hos 11:1 Matt 2:15
Hos 13:14 1 Co 15:55
Joel 3:1-5 Acts 2:17-21, Rom 10:13
Amos 5:25-27 Acts 7:42-43
Amos 9:11-12 Acts 15:16-17
Jonah 2:17 Matt 12:40
Mic 5:2 Matt 2:6
Mic 7:6 Matt 10:35-36
Hab2:3-4 Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11
Hab 1:5 Acts 13:41
Hag 2:6, 21 Heb 12:26
Zac 8:16 Eph 4:25
Zech 9:9 Joh 12:15
Zac 11:12-13 Matt 27:9-10
Zac 12:10 Joh 19:37
Zac 13:7 Matt 26:31, Mark 14:27
Mal 1:2-3 Rom 9:13
Mal 3:1 Matt 11:10, Mark 1:2,Luke 7:27
Mal 4:5-6 Matt 17:10-11

Habakkuk 2:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

the power of prophetic praises: from a king

Today we look at how a king sang praises to the King of kings. David lived in the times before Christ when the Holy Spirit was not indwelling inside the people of God. But the Spirit of God led him to prophecy even at the time when he was surrounded by his enemies. Anyone familiar with the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus Christ can see the obvious parallels, and the writers of the gospel accounts—especially Matthew—bring them out through direct quotations of this psalm.

Psalm 22
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Doe of the Dawn.”
1
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

3
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4
Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
5
They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

6
But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
7
Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8
“Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”

9
Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10
I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born.

11
Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
12
My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13
Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey.
14
My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
15
My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16
My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced[a] my hands and feet.
17
I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18
They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice[b] for my clothing.

19
O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20
Save me from the sword;
spare my precious life from these dogs.
21
Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
and from the horns of these wild oxen.

22
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.[c]
I will praise you among your assembled people.
23
Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24
For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.

25
I will praise you in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26
The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27
The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28
For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

29
Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
30
Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31
His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done.

Footnotes:
22:16 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read They are like a lion at.
22:18 Hebrew cast lots.
22:22 Hebrew my brothers.

Day three : Amos 7 Day of small things “Behold, I am setting a plumb line!” John 7 “Who is he?”

Zechariah 4:10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
Amos 7 New King James Version (NKJV) Vision of the Locusts
Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings. 2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said:

“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!
Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
3
So the Lord relented concerning this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.

Vision of the Fire
4 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory. 5 Then I said:

“O Lord God, cease, I pray!
Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
6
So the Lord relented concerning this.
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.

Vision of the Plumb Line
7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

And I said, “A plumb line.”

Then the Lord said:

“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
I will not pass by them anymore.
9
The high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.”

Amaziah’s Complaint
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said:

‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
And Israel shall surely be led away captive
From their own land.’”

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos:

“Go, you seer!
Flee to the land of Judah.
There eat bread,
And there prophesy.
13
But never again prophesy at Bethel,
For it is the king’s sanctuary,
And it is the royal residence.”

14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:

“I was no prophet,
Nor was I a son of a prophet,
But I was a sheepbreeder[a]
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15
Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’
16
Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’

17 “Therefore thus says the Lord:

‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city;
Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by survey line;
You shall die in a defiled land;
And Israel shall surely be led away captive
From his own land.’”
Footnotes:
a. Amos 7:14 Compare 2 Kings 3:4

John 7
Jesus’ Brothers Disbelieve
7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews[a] sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet[b] going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

The Heavenly Scholar
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

16 Jesus[c] answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Could This Be the Christ?
25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly[d] the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But[e] I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

30 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Jesus and the Religious Leaders
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. 33 Then Jesus said to them,[f] “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

The Promise of the Holy Spirit
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing[g] in Him would receive; for the Holy[h] Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Who Is He?
40 Therefore many[i] from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.”

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

Rejected by the Authorities
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night,[j] being one of them) said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen[k] out of Galilee.”

An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World
53 And everyone went to his own house.[l]

Footnotes:

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a. John 7:1 That is, the ruling authorities
b. John 7:8 NU-Text omits yet.
c. John 7:16 NU-Text and M-Text read So Jesus.
d. John 7:26 NU-Text omits truly.
e. John 7:29 NU-Text and M-Text omit But.
f. John 7:33 NU-Text and M-Text omit to them.
g. John 7:39 NU-Text reads who believed.
h. John 7:39 NU-Text omits Holy.
i. John 7:40 NU-Text reads some.
j. John 7:50 NU-Text reads before.
k. John 7:52 NU-Text reads is to rise.
l. John 7:53 The words And everyone through sin no more (8:11) are bracketed by NU-Text as not original. They are present in over 900 manuscripts.

Day Four : Woe to you who are at ease in Zion; But he who heard and did nothing;

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Day Four (countdown): Woe to you who are at ease in Zion; But he who heard and did nothing;

Amos 6 (NKJV) Warnings to Zion and Samaria. Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes!
2
Go over to Calneh and see;
And from there go to Hamath the great;
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
Or is their territory greater than your territory?

3
Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,
Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
4
Who lie on beds of ivory,
Stretch out on your couches,
Eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall;
5
Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments,
And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
6
Who drink wine from bowls,
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments,
But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7
Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.

8
The Lord God has sworn by Himself,
The Lord God of hosts says:
“I abhor the pride of Jacob,
And hate his palaces;
Therefore I will deliver up the city
And all that is in it.”

9 Then it shall come to pass, that if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. 10 And when a relative of the dead, with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the bodies[a] to take them out of the house, he will say to one inside the house, “Are there any more with you?”

Then someone will say, “None.”

And he will say, “Hold your tongue! For we dare not mention the name of the Lord.”

11
For behold, the Lord gives a command:
He will break the great house into bits,
And the little house into pieces.

12
Do horses run on rocks?
Does one plow there with oxen?
Yet you have turned justice into gall,
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,
13
You who rejoice over Lo Debar,[b]
Who say, “Have we not taken Karnaim[c] for ourselves
By our own strength?”

14
“But, behold, I will raise up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,”
Says the Lord God of hosts;
“And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath
To the Valley of the Arabah.”
Footnotes:
a. Amos 6:10 Literally bones
b. Amos 6:13 Literally Nothing
c. Amos 6:13 Literally Horns, symbol of strength

Luke 10:43-49
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart[g] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build on the Rock
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.[h] 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.[i] And the ruin of that house was great.”
Footnotes:
g. Luke 6:45 NU-Text omits treasure of his heart.
h. Luke 6:48 NU-Text reads for it was well built.
i. Luke 6:49 NU-Text reads collapsed.

Ephesians 6:10-20
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Footnotes
c. Ephesians 6:12 NU-Text reads rulers of this darkness.

For she cares nothing about the path to life.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.
Then you will show discernment,
and your lips will express what you’ve learned.

For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.[a]
For she cares nothing about the path to life.
She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

So now, my sons, listen to me.
Never stray from what I am about to say:
Stay away from her!

Don’t go near the door of her house!
If you do, you will lose your honor
and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
Strangers will consume your wealth,
and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

In the end you will groan in anguish
when disease consumes your body.
You will say, “How I hated discipline!
If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
and now I must face public disgrace.”

Footnotes:
5:5 Hebrew to Sheol.
(above quoted from the Holy Bible, Proverbs 5:1-14 New Living Translation (NLT)
Avoid Immoral Women)

Revelation 17:5 A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”
Revelation 18:2 He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal..

How should a nation become great again?

GOD SPOKE TWICE.
What should a nation do to become great again?
1. I am reminded of the successful examples in the Book of Ezra and Book of Nehemiah.
Rebuild your Temple of God/churches. Rebuild your walls: physically by demarcation and sovereignty over your borders (spiritual defense too).
I pray the Lord’s Spirit be poured out mightily upon you.
When you align with God’s plan and His words you will be great again.
Prosperity and peace.
Booming trades and bountiful harvests.
No one will lack.
You will be the head and not the tail.

2. READ THE BIBLICAL LESSONS ON EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL LEADERS: FINANCE MINISTER Joseph, PRIME MINISTER Daniel and his friends, COMMANDER prophet Samuel, SPIRITUAL LEADER prophet Elijah, EDUCATIONIST Scribe Ezra, CIVIL GOVERNOR Zerubbabel, Nehemiah and many more.

Let greatness arise for nation which aligns with God's plan

I wrote this three hours (as published in my other blog) before today's result came out. Read my watchman’s notes at the end of this blog. How to read today’s event by spiritual watchman. Domino effects.

How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
She dwells among the nations,
She finds no rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
4 The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the set feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.
5 Her adversaries have become the master,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has afflicted her
Because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 And from the daughter of Zion
All her splendor has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
That find no pasture,
That flee without strength
Before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and roaming,
Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things
That she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
With no one to help her,
The adversaries saw her
And mocked at her downfall.[a]
11 All her people sigh,
They seek bread;
They have given their valuables for food to restore life.
“See, O Lord, and consider,
For I am scorned.”
19 “I called for my lovers,
But they deceived me;
My priests and my elders
Breathed their last in the city,
While they sought food
To restore their life.
(quoted partially from Lamentations 1)

Watchman’s notes: 

do not look at the surface of events. There are many spiritual implications like a domino set in motion today by one specific nation of the world. The Lament is not for that nation. It’s for the subsequent events of nations who will follow and the spiritual impact on the whole not the part. Another group will emerge. Watchman to read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to see the big picture. Who are the allies and who are rising after this event. The change will take place. Spiritual events will take place. I have no specific words except that the Bible prophecies of the great power struggles and allies should be re-read to understand. Come out of the historical interpretation paradigm. It’s not as what the historical theologians had thought. Read the Book of Daniel and put in the names of the new nations or group of nations.

What do Christians do? watch and pray just as Jesus has told us to do.
Prayer: that the nation/nations that the Lord has raised to become great will become great by aligning with God’s words and His best plans for them.